October 20, 2014

Housekeeping Through the Years

Once upon a time a loving father crafted a dollhouse that would be treasured for a lifetime - or even longer.  His name was Charles P. Nicholas, and he took great care in building the house, lavishing it with his woodworking skills to the best of his abilities.

Each window was fitted with glass, the red chimney was carved to simulate the best brick mason craftsmanship, and the front steps were carved from a single block of wood.  It was truly a work of art and labor of love.  

Nicholas presented it to his two daughters on Christmas morning in 1896, and they delighted instantly in the miniature replica of their own home.  

The dollhouse was equipped with all manner of tiny furnishings that each of the girls fashioned and contributed.  Walls were papered with left over scraps from the farmhouse.  Curtains crafted from tiny pieces of material gathered from their mother’s sewing basket.  Rugs and other items were added by re-purposing things such as ladies hankies and crocheted doilies.  “Artwork” was hung on the tiny walls.  The fireplace mantle and other surfaces were decorated with minutiae care. And of course a family was moved in to inhabit the home. 

Countless hours were spent in make believe as the children imagined themselves living in the miniature rooms.

Through the years, the house aged much the same as the old farmhouse where Nicholas and his family lived. Floors grew scuffed with use and wallpaper sagged somewhat in the corners, but the simple, sturdy dollhouse that he constructed out of wood nevertheless provided hours of joy for the girls. 

The dollhouse has since been owned by no fewer than 15 girls representing four generations.

When we were youngsters, my two sisters and I when we were fortunate to inherit the dollhouse and so came to be the next generation of girls to love and treasure Nicholas’s gift as keepers of the house.  Much like his daughters, we three sisters spent hours renovating the somewhat bedraggled, sagging house, crafting furnishings and decorating the walls and interior of the little home.  

Our little brother, though not officially a keeper of the house, often would take part in dollhouse antics and he delighted in rearranging it on the sly.  Hiding the baby, placing the pets in the oven, putting the cook in the parlor where she most definitely did not belong were only a few of the antics that he pulled.

We all enjoyed the special treasure for years.  But little girls grow up and their interests change as they do so, sadly, the dollhouse eventually was relegated to a lonely corner of the basement where it gathered dust and sat unused for years. 

There’s a touch of little girl in every woman’s heart, though.  One day my oldest sister reclaimed Nicholas’s dollhouse and elevated it to a place of honor in her own home. It would there share space with the other houses that she herself had collected and constructed through the years.

The story doesn't end there though.  Recently my sister and I became great-aunts to a darling little niece.  But long before the child was born, my sister began crafting a brand new, colossal three story dollhouse for the little one.  Built from the ground up, the structure was lovingly pieced together in what would amount to countless hours of labor.  For interior decoration, she strayed from the traditional, opting instead for lively, colorful walls and furnishings.

It is indeed a work of art and one that will be treasured for years to come.

The day finally arrived recently to present the dollhouse to its new owner, our four month old grand-niece.  She stared intensely at the bright walls and her approval was evident as she kicked and squirmed in delight.  It was a gift of love, much like Nicholas’s all those many years before was to his daughters.

With our niece being a little young for dollhouse playing presently, her older brother has happily taken on the role of house keeper. He has commandeered the dollhouse and is making plans to move Luke Skywalker and some of his friends into the house soon. 

Like they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

A One-way ticket......

October 13,2014

"The last train departs without ceremony", local headlines lamented in August of 1980.  It was just over a hundred year run but train tracks in town carried the last of their burden on August 7,1980.  

Little remains to indicate that the rails once ran through town.  But there are subtle remnants left of the town's railroad days.  If you look closely you might detect the track right of way that crossed Slayton's main street spanning from the southeast corner to northwest section of town. And the southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership building, fashioned much the same  sits in the spot where the depot once stood.

It was in 1879 that the railroads came to Murray County.  In the spring of 1879 arrangements were completed for the Southern Minnesota Railroad Company to extend their line west through this county.  About the same time the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad planned a branch line northwest from Heron Lake.  Stations were started at Fulda and Iona on the Southern Minnesota railroad and at Avoca and Hadley on the St. Paul and Sioux City railroad branch from Heron Lake.

Both these lines were competing for a land grant, the first line having a train reach Pipestone was to receive the grant.

It was told by one man who worked on the Southern Minnesota line that both lines ran out of rails before reading Pipestone, but the Southern Minnesota line ran their train as far as the rails were laid and then tore up the rails behind the train and re-laid them  in front, thus proceeding until they reached Pipestone and receiving the land grant.  But it took some time to lay the other rails so they could make a return trip.

It was in April of 1880 that the papers recorded that "a full passenger train consisting of coach, baggage car, etc. now runs west of this section (Fulda)."  

The St. Paul and Sioux City railroad branch from Heron Lake through Avoca and Hadley stopped at W oodstock and was called the "Black Hills Branch".  The St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad Company later changed their name to Chicago, St. Paul, Milwaukee and Omaha Railroad.

The right-of-way for the extension of the Woodstock branch to Pipestone was secured by private subscription for $1500 in the spring of 1884 and the track completed on July 19,1884.

Slayton's rail service started in 1881 in Center Township.  It was noted in the Southwest Minnesotian, published in Currie on September 7, 1881, that the railroad company had surveyed 100 acres into town lots. For a few weeks the town was called Winterton, but the residents thought that name was rather "suggestive to strangers", so soon it was changed to Slayton.  

Until about 1930 there were two passenger trains and two freight trains daily. Until Slayton grew and churches were built, the waiting room of the depot was used to hold church services. Some of the former section crew were Albert Erickson, Steve Thruinger, Joe Thuringer, William Beers, Lyle Larson, Henry Larson, Jonie Thompson and Albert Millis.

Some of the former station agents included A.W. Beek, Jack Johnson, Lloyd Slaybaugh and Harvey Butterfield.  Butterfield was the last agent when the dept closed June 12, 1972. The last train left Slayton on August 7, 1980, witih crew members onboard including conductor R.J. Sizer, Engineer E.L. Goor, Head Brakeman T.J. Schmillen, Rear Brakeman D.L. Schlomann.

October 6, 2014

Strike Up the Band

You may recall, back in the day if you were involved in marching band, that a parade was the epitome of performance.  Hours of early morning drilling and practice, learning how to put that left foot down on the first and third beat, and concentrating on somehow playing the memorized notes of the marching tune really paid off when put to the test in front of a street lined with eager parade watchers.

It might be a frigid 30 degrees and no manner of hand blowing will keep them from freezing.  Or a sweltering summer day when you question the wisdom of wool band uniforms  Who's idea was that anyway?  Whatever the case, you adapt and you do your very best.  Because you're a member of the team and you're representing your school with pride.  

It can still bring chills to my spine when I hear "National Emblem", my Alma mater's signature song.   And I can still recall the feeling it brought to me as the drum line signaled the beginnings of the tune with a flourish of the drum riff.  It was pride I suppose: in my hometown, in the band, in the hours or practice and levels of excellence that we exuded.  And of our performance.

I felt much the same Saturday as I watched the hometown Rebel marching band march at the Festival of Bands in Sioux Falls.  Just the anticipation of catching a glimpse of the purple banner so many blocks down the street, leading the marching band, was enough to bring on the chills as the band members brought their best performance to the game field. 

They came, they performed and they conquered, bringing home third place in a slate of eleven bands in their division.  Kudos to director Mike Hegelson, who at the helm of the band these last scant few years, has lifted it to great levels.  I applaud  you all.  For being a part of a marching band takes dedication, practice and commitment.  I saw that and more as I proudly watched the members of the MCC band perform on the streets of downtown Sioux Falls.

Back in the "old" days, my time that is, most bands marched in a military style which meant the feet shuffled in a brisk, controlled gait.  I was reminded of just that on Saturday while seeing the United States Marine band, which led the parade in fine fashion.  That elite group was spot on and never faltered in their precision.  Hats were all level, legs were in tandem and the music lilted to perfection.  It was a joy to behold and I only hope that the high school marchers got to see the Marines perform.

Today, marching has taken on a whole new level of excitement.  Bands not only file down the street in orderly manner, but they stop now and then to delight the watchers with routines that include fancy moves, twirls, and intricate patterns of movement.  And the flag squad enhances it all with their costuming, colorful flags and deft movements. It's all very exciting to watch.

You see, I take music and its performance rather seriously and revel in the notion that there still is an attitude that supports that.  A marching  band at its acme, during a performance and competition such as the Festival of Bands, which attracted 31 bands in all from the tri-state area, is merely the tip of the iceberg.  

You have to take into consideration the preparation that comes long before the big day of competition. There is of course the sticky late summer rehearsals and learning to stay in step and keep the ranks straight, the somewhat craziness of fitting of band uniforms and shoes, the memorization of new music, and the early morning marching drills that occur long before a competition ever does.  

It's true dedication and I raise my hat to all who participate.  You will never, I promise, forget the experience.  For one day you will catch a drift of the song that your band played while it marched and performed. And I wish for you to experience those chills down your spine such as I have when you do.